Of Kings, Princes and Jewels
by KyoKyon
Summary: Sometimes the people we know seem to be the one we don't know at all...hidden secrets arise...
1. Introduction

KyonKyon: This is a crossover of Fruits Basket and Inuyasha! Hope ya like it!

" _You are banished from these lands forever, traitor!" the youkai roared, pointing to the fallen man, who looked up at the figure with great hate and venom._

" _NEVER!" he screamed in rage and before anyone could stop him, he withdrew something from within the depths of his robe and flung it onto the floor._

_Smoke covered and hid the fallen villain._

_The youkai quickly acted._

_He could see the retreating figure of the villain and with a roar he cast his spell._

" _You, who have betrayed me, shall forever be lost…never to be found again…time will take you…where no one knows…" the youkai roared and the villain screamed in agony as the orange light surrounded him._

………………………………………………

Claws.

Kyo could feel his heart thumping away.

It felt like he had been running in a marathon…expect that a marathon didn't fill you with fear.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked down at his hand intently through the weak morning light.

An illusion, he told himself, calming himself.

He had imagined claws instead of hands…

Shaking off the remains of the dreary sleep, he got up swiftly.

In the bathroom, he looked at himself again, as a precaution.

The same fiery orangey-red hair…crimson eyes…hands…not claws…

His heart finally calmed down but he couldn't shake that feeling…that something was wrong with him…actually, not wrong…but…that something was happening within him and he didn't know what.

It scared him…

_Flashback:_

_He wanted to beat that rat…damn!_

_Why couldn't he do it?_

_This was the countless time that Yuki had beaten him in the P.E training for running._

_He had left school in a rage, glad that P.E had been the last lesson for the day so he could simply run out._

_He didn't bother to change into his school uniform, just ran out in his tee shirt and his shorts._

_He ignored the coldness of the weather and the way the wind slapped his face._

_Damn!!_

_He didn't know when he had begun running but all he knew was that he had never felt this way before!_

_It was fantastic!_

_He was running so fast that he was almost a blur…everything passed by in a whirl._

_He would have continued running but for the fact that he tripped._

_Skidding all the way on the harsh cold ground, he lay there, feeling the breath knocked out of him._

_He could feel the hot wetness along the length of his legs and his palms stung painfully._

_Looking down he could see the redness of his blood along his legs and his palm._

_Damn…_

_Limping slightly, he stood up._

_Lucky he was nearly home anyway._

_Lucky for him that Shigure was not home._

_Neither Tohru nor Yuki were home too._

_Luck…_

_Sighing, he tossed his bag onto the floor and headed down to the bathroom._

_He wanted to wash the blood off him._

_For some reason the smell of his blood seemed particularly strong._

_It wasn't unpleasant…the metallically sweet scent…but it disturbed him to smell it so strongly…God, he must be bleeding like a struck pig._

_Not liking the metaphor, he stepped under the shower having stripped already._

_He waited for the painful stinging of his legs but when none came, he opened his eyes, puzzled._

_Looking down, he felt his world spin for a moment…_

_How could it be?_

_There…was no wound…no large gash on his legs…_

_The blood washed down the drain, the only sign that there had been an injury and that it hadn't been a figment of his imagination._

_His trembling, he touched his leg lightly…nothing…smoothness…_

_Shit…_

_He could hear his heart beat so loudly…_

BANG

Kyo came out his daydream with a rude jolt, his heart palpating rapidly at the sound.

" Oi! Would you hurry up?" Yuki shouted from outside and Kyo bit back his retort.

A wave of red rage filled his vision and for a moment he feared he was blacking out.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw his face and abruptly stopped, shocked.

The red haze disappeared.

Looking closely at his face again, he was relieved to see it was normal…

But…something had happened!

He didn't imagine it!

Was…the bracelet finally…defective?

Looking down at the bracelet, he clenched his fists tightly against his skin, the beads cutting into the skin.

No…

No…

No…

………………………………………………..

A pale unicorn like creature galloped across the harsh terrains of the land, its feet moving ever so gracefully.

In the moonlight, it looked like a majestically dream creature, a creature woven from dreams and the moonlight…

The creature stopped briefly and looked at the direction where it was going.

A battle was being fought…darkness was losing…

The Sacred Jewel…

Racing across the lands, it made its way to where the source of the power was coming from.

………………………………………………

The battle had been harsh and painful.

Inuyasha leaned heavily onto his sword, wincing as the wounds bled freely.

Kagome was on her knees a few feet away from him, exhaustion overtaking her for a while.

Sesshomaru lay on the ground a few feet from the mutilated body of the dead Naraku. He grimaced as he stood slowly.

That dratted Naraku had taken a great chunk of him when he went.

The wound on his chest flared, causing Sesshomaru to wince.

" Shippou! Where's he?" Kagome asked, looking around tiredly.

" He's alright…I've got him…" Inuyasha said, swaying slightly on his feet.

" Damn…" Inuyasha cursed as he moved the unconscious kitsune in his arms.

" Something's coming…" Kagome said suddenly, her head snapping up as she clutched the Jewel to her.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru looked up, their mouth tightening.

Shit, more trouble!

" Kagome! Get behind me! Now!" Inuyasha barked.

But before Kagome could comply, the 'thing' burst into view.

Awe struck, they looked at the creature.

" What is it?" Kagome asked, not aware of her husky voice.

" A Kirin…" Sesshomaru replied, his cold mask of indifference settling in again.

" A what?" Kagome and Inuyasha asked together.

" The 2 of you are certainly ignorant…" Sesshomaru snorted but before he could continue, the Kirin stepped forward and approached Kagome.

" Ano…" she began but the Kirin bowed its head and its horn touched the Sacred Jewel and light surrounded them.

" Hey!" Inuyasha's loud shout was heard before the light swallowed them up.


	2. Change

KyonKyon: Thanks for the comments and I will try to make my story format better…I will not be including Sango, Miroku and Rin from 'Inuyasha'. In 'FB', I will not be writing about Rin or Kureno.

……………………………………….

" I am going to see Kazuma…" Kyo announced at dinner. He couldn't see Tohru's worried expression nor Yuki and Shigure exchange looks. He was feeling restless and caged up. Ever since this morning, when he had nearly lost control, he had decided, the best course of action was to see Kazuma. He couldn't understand what's going on and he hated it!

Pushing aside his unfinished food, he excused himself, shutting the door firmly, leaving everyone in his wake puzzled and worried.

Kyo made his way to his master's dojo. Actually it was quite near, about a few miles from Shigure's house. He was glad for the long walk as he could think about the stuff that had been happening to him recently. So far, the beads were doing their job…but he was afraid…afraid of…changing…

Clenching his fists, he walked more briskly, ignoring the cold wind that stung his cheeks. After this…New Year will arrive…and Akito…The same old question and the same old taunting. He was turning 17 soon.

……………………………………….

Tohru was walking almost in a daze as she carried the few bags of groceries home. Her mind was not on what to cook for dinner, nor was it on the unsteady ground she was on. All she was thinking about was Kyo. She was worried for him and his recently strange behavior.

_I wonder if I made him mad again…I seem to have a knack for that…but…he didn't act mad. He seemed distracted, almost afraid. I hope he's alright and that…_

" Ahhhhh!!" Tohru screamed, flaying her arms clumsily as she tripped against something solid and landed on her face.

Blushing madly, she got up, glad that no one was around to witness that humiliating fall. God, she was so…

Her words died when she looked at what she had tripped on. She gasped and quickly got on her knees. The boy was lying on the cold ground, unconscious. His long black hair was tangled with broken twigs and dead leaves.

" Mister…" she called, shaking him slightly but he didn't wake. He simply lay there. Tohru grew frightened. What if she had crushed him?? Although it was a dumb idea, she still felt guilty. Quickly scrambling to her feet, she looked around helplessly. The main was quite a distance away and she knew he had to be freezing in that strange red costume he was wearing. Making up her mind, she pulled his arm, hooked it around her neck and struggled to her feet, her knees shaking like mad. Huffing and puffing, she managed to stagger a few feet before collapsing harshly back onto the ground. Her knees screamed with pain but she didn't notice.

Looking around desperately, her breath hitched as she realized that it was going to be hard…very hard. But looking absolutely determined, she got to her feet again, this time swaying only slightly.

Shigure heard a loud crash at the front door and he quickly rushed out together with Yuki to investigate the noise. They were surprised and shocked when they saw Tohru all sweaty and disheveled nearly crushed beneath an unconscious boy.

" Shigure! Yuki! Could you…" she began but the words were unnecessary because Shigure and Yuki had already leapt into action, pulling the boy off her and helping her to her feet.

" Miss Honda, are you alright?" Yuki asked, worriedly, checking her for any injuries.

" Tohru, your knees!" Shigure exclaimed, looking dismayed at their bleeding condition.

" It's alright! Yuki, Shigure, could you take the boy into the spare rooms? I am afraid I found him unconscious and it wouldn't do for him to catch a cold in that clothes of his! And I don't think that I am in any position to…" Tohru said hastily.

" But…"

" Oh, no! The groceries! I'll be back!" Tohru called out as she ran out again, leaving a bewildered Shigure and Yuki at her wake.

Tohru ran all the way to the clearing where she found the boy and where she had left the groceries. Breathing a sigh of relief, she made to pick up the bags again when a groan caused her to stiffen.

Turning to look for the noise, she saw a figure walk towards her dazedly.

Her heart beating like mad, she calmed down a bit when she saw it was a girl of her age. But her relief turned to worry when she saw that the girl was very pale and she was swaying badly. Quickly, she rushed to the girl, holding her steady.

" Miss, are you alright?" She asked worriedly.

The black haired girl seemed to be groggy but she shook her head and a bit of sense came into her eyes.

" Shippou…Inuyasha…" she muttered slowly.

" Miss…" Tohru asked worriedly.

" Shippou! Oh no! He's…" she said almost frantically before fainting. Poor Tohru could not hold her but she managed to gently lay her on the ground. Shippou? It sounded like a child's name, Tohru thought. Seeing the girl shiver, she took off her thick coat and wrapped it around the girl. This Shippou must be very important to this girl. Determined to find this Shippou, she quickly searched the surrounding area. It wasn't too long when she found the 'Shippou'. She looked at this 'Shippou' with great dismay. He was a strapping man. His black hair was long and he had a resemblance to the boy she had found just now.

She had to get help!   
She couldn't do this all by herself!

Running towards the main house, she burst into the house.

" Yuki! I need your help! I…found another guy down there and he's also unconscious!"

Without further delay, Yuki hurried after her.

Tohru was busy looking after their unexpected guests, making sure that they were all right. Daylight was almost waning before Tohru suddenly remembered their groceries. Slapping her head lightly, she ran to fetch them. Jogging back home, she put the groceries down. Shigure came behind her and gently tapped her on the shoulder.

Jumping, Tohru turned, startled.

" Oh, Tohru, you must have been so tried! After all that rescuing! Why don't I cook dinner tonight?" he said cheerfully.

Tohru sweat dropped. After insisting that her knees must be treated, Shigure had fussed about her.

" Um…alright…" she said a bit reluctantly but she didn't want to hurt him.

" Oooooh! Great! Now, what's for…what's this?" he asked blankly. Tohru looked at him then down to where he was pointing. A lump lay on the kitchen floor. It had fallen out when Shigure had shaken the bag.

" It looks like a…" lump, Shigure was about to say when Tohru shrieked.

" It's a child!!" Tohru screamed, her hands to her face.


	3. My Blood

_**KyonKyon: Thank you for your comments. I appreciate it! Sorry for the delay!**_

……………………………………

_**This is the last time**_

_**That I'm ever gonna come here tonight**_

_**This is the last time - I will fall **_

_**Into a place that fails us all - inside**_

_It felt so odd…almost as if he was floating in mid-air. He couldn't see anything, just white all around him. He could see his hand, so tan amongst the whiteness. Flexing his fingers, he marveled at the feeling of lightness. His seemed to freeze when he saw his other hand…the hand where the bracelet was…there was no bracelet…_

_His heart leapt to his mouth. How could that be? It was true…no bracelet…a strange emotion crossed inside him…He was FREE…finally…Freedom…it burst into his heart like an arrow, purifying all the doubts, hate, fears, longing and loneliness. He was…free._

_**The angels they burn inside for us **_

_**Are we ever **_

_**Are we ever gonna learn to fly**_

_**The devils they burn inside of us**_

_**Are we ever gonna come back down - come around **_

_**I'm always gonna worry about the things that could break us**_

……………………………

Sesshomaru felt a blinding pain in his head as he gained consciousness. Wincing at the simple effort of opening his eyes, he groggily rubbed his eyes. Wait…he froze…human hands? What the Hell?? Forgetting all about his pain, he sat up and for a moment, he was afraid he had blacked out. When the blackness faded away, slowly, he saw he was in a room. He was lying on a futon…and he couldn't hear anything…or smell anything. Feeling slightly panicky, as much as he allowed himself to feel anyway, he tried to get up.

The door opened and he looked up sharply when he saw light flood the room.

" Shippou-san!" was the last thing he heard before he blacked out.

_Why am I being called a stupid kit's name?_ That was the last thing in his mind before everything went black.

…………………………….

He could fly…truly high… 

_He had always wanted to see the stars…up there above, it seemed that the stars were mocking him while he was stuck down there on Earth, unable to decide…unable to CHOOSE! His life had always been at the whim of others…his mother, who controlled him, who feared him…Kazuma…who loved him yet…he too wanted Kyo to be someone he was not…Akito…the biggest threat…God…_

_NO! His mind and heart rejected violently. Not his, NEVER his. He would fly away from all this! The cold wind whipping his cheeks and sending tears down his cheeks as his eyes smarted from the rush of cold air…he was going to the stars! He was! His heart nearly bursting with this foreign feeling of flying, his hands reached for the Heavens…the Heavens, which had always been denied him…_

……………………………

" Hatori, how are they?" Tohru asked, her brow pinched in worry.

Hatori sighed and closed the door gently.

" They are suffering from hypothermia…but other than that, they are alright…they should be awake by tomorrow, don't worry…the small child however…he seems to having difficulty. I am afraid that he has a high fever. I've give him a shot and he needs constant…" he was cut off by Tohru who smiled, placing a hand on his arm.

" I know…" she said softly.

Hatori felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips. He had been rambling again. It was so natural to do that around her. The urge to protect her from harm…ever since Akito had summoned her. Trying to frighten her away…his fists clenched and unclenched before he nodded at Tohru. Walking her walk away towards the kitchen to get some water and cloth, it occurred to him…they were afraid…still afraid…like little kids clinging onto their mothers…they couldn't bear to be away from something that kept them so happy and made them feel accepted. Like little children…perhaps THEY were the innocent ones despite their share of being in the darkness…

……………………………………

He had been walking home, thinking of all that his Sensei had said to him, frowning. It seemed that the whole world seemed to come to a stop…he couldn't notice anything about the surroundings. His Sensei had reassured him that he was alright…but Kyo KNEW…he was hiding something. Before he left, he had ruffled Kyo's hair softly. In that act itself, he had found it strange…Sensei NEVER did that…since he had been small, he had always ruffled his hair but when he grew up…his heart jumped worriedly when Kazuma had ruffled his hair.

Letting his feet do the thinking, he had walked away, a load of fright and worry in his heart. Was he really losing control? Was that fear he saw in Kazuma? Even though Kazuma had raised Kyo, he had never seen Kyo transform and Kyo wanted to keep it that way. He didn't want Kazuma to look at him with revulsion and hate…he WOULDN'T do that, he tried to tell himself…Tohru didn't turn away from him. That small sentence would set his heart at ease for a while but he couldn't stop himself from being afraid…irrationally so.

It had happened so suddenly that Kyo had no time to even register what he was feeling. Looking down, he felt a sense of detached shock when he saw a hand. It was PRODUING through his stomach. He felt so calm he felt insane. Another part wanted to scream and run. The hand had slight claws at the tip of the fingers. His blood was so red and it dripped off the fingers…like a tap, he observed coldly. He felt no pain. Then the hand ripped backwards and THEN he felt the pain slice into him like a sudden bolt of lightning.

Dropping to his knees, he lost his detached side. He felt the haziness set in. He wasn't aware of biting his lips until he tasted the metallic liquid in his mouth. His hands came away bloody as he tried to hold the precious liquid in. They seem to flow in rivers…down his hands, towards the ground and pooling in the dead leaves. The colors faded in and out of his vision…was his world leaking away?

……………………………………


	4. Scared

_i've flown too high on borrowed wings  
beyond the clouds and where the angels sings  
in a sky containing  
no one but me  
up there's all empty  
and down there's the sea  
no one here but me _

there's nothing but light  
that comes into sight, oh

there's something up here that makes me wince  
and i still got the feelings that i've felt ever since  
i got to this place  
arrived at last  
in front there's the future  
right back there's the past  
everything's moving so fast

there's nothing but light  
that comes into sight, oh

the present like i've never seen it before  
is this the right place to stay?  
please, my wings  
fly me away

the present like i've never seen it before  
is this the right place to stay?  
please, my wings  
fly me away

please my wings  
fly me away

please, my wings  
fly me away

…………………………………

**KyonKyon: Thank you for your comments, it's greatly appreciated! This chapter is mostly Kyo-centric.**

…………………………………

He lay there, broken and bleeding. Beneath the vast white sky, he lay, simply unmoving. The redness of his blood was so startlingly red, beautiful yet ugly. His hands curled into a loose fist, he slept on. His fiery orange hair, soft and wet, lay tousled, yet he slept on. His skinny lean frame shivered slightly in the cold wind as he felt the distant cold, yet he slept on.

The Heavens opened up and it started to rain. Soft white flaky rain….snow…it fell down, drifting slowly and gently embraced the sleeping boy. Caressing his smooth cold skin, the snow embraced him, not wanting to let this beautiful boy go. It wantedhim for itself.

A crunch of footsteps on the snow.

Beautiful man stepped out, his long blond hair shinning softly. His green eyes were soft as they fell upon the sleeping boy.

_I found you…_

The words seemed to be plucked out of the air, given shape by the thought of the beautiful man. He walked towards the sleeping boy and knelt down by his side. He seemed to be asleep. Brushing away the snow, he gently scooped the sleeping boy into his arms.

_I found you…_

_I thought I was flying…_

_Kyo was in this realm…a realm of…dreams? He didn't know…but it was so peaceful here. He never wanted to go out of this place. Safe and warm, he slept on, vaguely aware of his outside surroundings, yet detached from them. He knew he was forgetting something…what? He couldn't remember…did it matter? No, not really…_

_And so, he continued sleeping…_

_But suddenly a sharp agonizing pain woke him up. Clutching his side where the pain seemed to be, he looked down bewildered._

_Red…why was his hand red?_

"_Choose…" _

_Kyo's head whipped up, his eyes widened with fear and anger. What was HE doing here? Growling slightly, he looked around, trying to see that poisonous boy…_

"_Choose…either you or Yuki…as simple as that…at the end of the road, there'll always be me…I'll be the one left…I take care of you filthy animals…is this not what I should deserve from you all? Your complete devotion, gratitude, freedom…and your life?"_

"_NO! NEVER! My answer will always be the same! Always Yuki…no matter…you can't use your poisonous words against me…they may hurt but they won't work…I ain't afraid of you!" Kyo shouted into the light._

"_Really? Not afraid of me? Is that really true? Are you not afraid of me? Are you not afraid of losing your freedom? Don't you think of the passing time in the darkness? How much time you have left before I shut you away completely…all there'll be will be a small window where you'll see the sun set…but never see it rise…where it's always dark…are you sure?" his sweetly poisonous words echoed in the light, amusement and cruelty laced in his tone._

_Kyo shook as he tried to get those words out of his mind. NO!_

_It would be so easy to simply give in and choose himself. _

_So easy to simply say, " Choose me…not Yuki…" and then Yuki will be the one imprisoned…so easy._

_So easy and yet so wrong…_

"_I AM afraid…but I ain't afraid of YOU, you stinking coward!" Kyo shouted, closing his eyes._

_I'm just afraid that I won't remember what the sun feels like onmy skin when summer comes..._

_I'm just afraid that I will stop caring…_

_I'm afraid of being alone with my hate and my anger…_

_I'm just afraid of…forgetting the people I know and love…_

_I'm just afraid that memories won't be enough to sustain me…_

_I'm just afraid…of simply letting go…_

_I'm afraid that one day I might simply not wake up…_

_I'm scared…_

…………………………………………………


	5. My Orientation

**KyoKyon: Sorry about the looong wait in between. Having my exams and there was no real mood to write. No inspiration. Sigh…But NOW I found my inspiration.  
Oh, yea, thanks everyone for the support you have showed me. I am really really thankful that you read my story and even commented. I will try to make this a GOOD story. **

**P.S. I didn't know song fanfics were not allowed. Hehe, sorry. Please note that my earlier chapters were BEFORE that rule…**

**Ok, I am rambling too much. Sorry! Enjoy!**

………………

_I found you…_

_I looked for you for centuries…_

_Time had not effect on me…_

_You were reborn again and again…_

_But I could never catch you in my arms…_

_Now, you lie there, broken…_

_I am…_

_I am finally free…_

_I have found you at last…_

Kyo felt the dull throb in his stomach wake him up. Wincing, he cracked an eye open.

DAMN!

He clumsily scrambled up, his heads whipping from side to side as his narrowed eyes surveyed the landscape. Only snow and bare naked trees.

Had it just been a dream?

Kyo hesitantly looked down and lightly grazed his hands over his tummy.

It was alright…

It was really alright…

No blood…

No hand protruding out of his stomach…

He shuddered as the nausea hit him. Collapsing to his knees, he heaved for breath. He had been holding his breathe without even knowing, without even realizing.

His world swam and he felt so disoriented.

What was happening to him?

…………………………..

Tohru looked out of the window, worry puckering her forehead. Was he alright? The snow was falling so lightly across the glass, an occasional wind blowing past. Tohru shook her head and lightly bonked herself.

"It'll be ok…" she whispered softly.

"Honda? Are you alright?" a soft voice from the doorway called.

Tohru nearly jumped out of her skin. Placing a hand on her chest, she smiled weakly.

"Yuki! You scared me…ah…yes…I am fine…" she said, sighing in relief.

"Eh? What're you doing in the middle of the night? It's so cold too! You'll catch a cold! You should go back!" Tohru cried out, immediately concern for her friend.

Yuki smiled gently, his head tilting on the side.

"I was going to the kitchen for a warm glass of milk when I saw the light at your door. I knocked a couple of times but you didn't hear. I was worried…" Yuki confessed, a light blush gracing his cheeks.

Tohru smiled gently as she shook her head.

"Everything's fine…Just worried a bit…Kyo's not home yet…" she said, turning to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of his orange hair.

Yuki felt his features crease but he controlled himself.

"I think he'll be fine, Honda…He's always making you worried! He's probably at Master's, sleeping. Cold weather tends to make him sleepy and weak…"

"Ah! That must be it! He must've been tired from the cold and he's probably at his Master's. Silly me…" Tohru said, rebuking herself with a smile.

Yuki smiled back at her expression.

"Goodnight, Honda…don't stay up…" he said before he gently closed the door.

Tohru crawled under the blankets and despite Yuki's resassuring words, she couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

Are you alright?

…………………………….

Damn!

Kyo kept on cursing under his breath.

Wading through ankle high of wet snow wasn't his idea of fun, especially when that certain someone was him and it was in the middle of the night.

Looking up, he signed in relief as he spotted the house. The warm lantern seem to beckon to him.

Hurrying, he broke into a run and burst into the house in a flurry of snow and wet feet.

The house was strangely quiet.

"Hey!" he called out, brushing the snow from his hair.

Still no answer.

Getting impatient, he stormed into Shigure's room.

Damn, if that pervert was playing this childish game.

"Damn perv-"

His words and his thoughts came stumbling into each other as he didn't see Shigure. What he saw made him scream…

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!"


	6. Waking Up

**It's been some time since I did this.**

**Sorry for the long wait and thank you for the reviews.**

**Really appreciate it.**

**The feeling I had when I started this story came back and once again, I fell in love with Kyo. **

**Please enjoy.**

…………………………………………

The child was the first to wake up. Bleary eyed, he groggily sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Eyes widened as he took in this new and strange surrounding. His head whipped around, shock and confusion swimming in his eyes.

What he recognized as a door opened and a girl came in. Seeing him awake, she smiled. His cringe of fear and uncertainty caused her to pause. Extending a hand towards him, she slowly made her way towards him.

Shippo bared his fangs, unable to distinguish from her smell whether she was an enemy or not. The last thing he remembered was falling onto the hard ground with blood seeping warmly through his paws and Kagome running towards him, screaming his name. Shuddering with fear, he did not notice that the girl had managed to slip past his 'defense' and before he knew it, he was swept into her warm embrace.

Startled, he looked up and he found himself marveling at how hazel her eyes were and so…His paws raised towards her soft cheek…It was a moment later that he noticed what was wrong.

His paws…HIS PAWS…

He had HANDS!

Frozen, he looked at his hands with confusion. His tongue swept past his canine fronts…no razor sharp fangs…normal, blunt teeth…he was human!

As he swirled into the approaching darkness, his last thoughts swam past with vivid clarity; _I am dead._

………………………………………………………..

Kagome felt a throbbing in her temple as she regained consciousness. The room swam back in place.

Was she back home?

Mama?

Groggily, she sat up and it hit her suddenly. Scrambling to her legs despite the feeling of dizziness, she looked around with panicked eyes.

Her hands flew instinctively to her neck. Her breathing eased a bit. The Shikon no Tama was still there. The last thing she remembered was the sight of a mystical creature, a _Kirin, _touch the Shikon no Tama with its horn and a bright light that pierced her heart.

The soft click of the door opening caused her to turn around sharply. With lightning speed, she grabbed the first thing that happened to be nearest. The intruder looked at her with a puzzled look, looking at her and back to her 'weapon'. Kagome felt the color rise to her face. So, alright, her weapon was useless but if the guy wanted to start a pillow fight, she was adequately armed!

"Would you like some miso soup?" he uttered with princely grace, ignoring her 'weapon' and looked at her with polite kindness.

"Eh?"

…………………………………………………….


End file.
